Let’s Do Business Group passes £20 million financial support mark

The Let’s Do Business Group has delivered more than £20million in finance to new and growing businesses, helping to create and safeguard nearly 5,500 jobs.

This impressive figure comprises 4,739 loans and grants provided to 4,673 companies to help them start-up, grow and prosper.

Graham Marley, Chief Executive of the Let’s Do Business Group (LDBG), said: “We have seen strong year-on-year growth since our launch in early 2000. Initially, our focus was on East Sussex but we now lend to businesses from Kent to Cornwall and as far north as Yorkshire.

“Growth has been especially significant over the past five years as we became a key delivery partner on a range of national and local funding programmes targeted at both start up and established micro and SME businesses.

“Looking ahead, we will continue to work with businesses across the South East giving them the support they need, either to launch or expand their venture.”

LDBG provides expert business advice, training, access to finance and business events, incorporating the divisions of:

– Let’s Do Business Finance
– Let’s Do Business Start Up
– Locate East Sussex
– Let’s Do Business B2B Exhibitions
– Let’s Do Business Training
– Business East Sussex

Among the companies that have benefitted from LDBG support is Half Man! Half Burger!, a licensed burger restaurant on St Leonards seafront opened by Rory Myers and Matt Woodhouse last year.

They successfully applied for a £7,000 LDBG Start Up Loan and Locate East Sussex helped them secure a £10,000 grant to help cover start up costs, including refurbishments.

Rory said: “The Start Up Loans scheme was hugely helpful. It would have been almost impossible without the loan and grant through Locate East Sussex.”

Since then, the profit target for Half Man! Half Burger! has been exceeded by more than 400% and Rory and Matt are now opening their second restaurant.

Rory and Matt recently won Start-Up Entrepreneur of the Year at this year’s Best of East Sussex Business Awards to celebrate the cream of the county’s businesses.

They were among four companies supported by the LDBG to scoop awards on the evening.

The Eastbourne branch of Half Man! Half Burger! is due to open in Grove Road in December 2016.